Safety match pack



H. F. WACHHOLZ SAFETY MATCH PACK Aug. 24, 1937.

Filed July 23. 1.936

INVENTOR BY M; M

- ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY MATCH PACK Herman F. Wachholz, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application July 23, 1936, Serial No. 92,057

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in safety match packs.

The object of my invention is to provide a safety match pack provided with a sheath wherein the matches, and a match striking surface, are receivable and reciprocable with provision for limiting the reciprocation so that a Figure 1 is a plan view of my entire match pack with the match comb slidably moved to an extreme position for a match removing operation.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the match comb slidably moved to a match striking position.

Figure 3 is a perspective of my match comb removed from its protective sheath.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 1. Like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

I am aware that attempts have heretofore been made to protect matches in a match comb during a match striking operation, examples of such attempts being shown in the United States patents to Lindmark Number 1,863,724 and to Willis Number 1,639,476. However, in the previous attempts to solve this problem it has always been possible to manipulate a match pack in such a way as to simultaneously expose the highly inflammable match heads and at least a usable portion of the match striking surface or abrasive. As a result, it is common knowledge that all the match heads of an entire match pack have been ignited in the hands of users with disastrous results upon numerous occasions.

In my construction I provide a match comb unit l0 including individual matches H with their heads It. The base portion l3 of the match comb is preferably of extra length so that the abrasive surface I comprising the match striking surface upon which the match heads It may be frictionally engaged to ignite the heads, is spaced from the butts l5 of the matches.

As an extension of the comb I provide a por- 55 tion 16 slotted at H, thus providing the comb I 0 and the extension IS with the abrasive surface M as a unitary element.

I provide for this unitary element a sheath l8 preferably of simple and cheap construction as for instance a sheath of paper or light cardboard formed as an envelope comprising virtually a flattened tube having 'open ends at 20 and 2|. One of the features of my invention is the formation of this envelope out of a single piece of paper-like material, folded to provide an underlying flap 22 through which a rivet may be extended as hereinafter described to make a complete assembly.

The comb unit is reciprocable in the sheath l8 as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 from a closed position in which the only portion of the comb which is exposed is the abrasive coated portion I4 to an extreme point of reciprocation in the open position in which the matches are exposed so that individual matches may be torn 20,

from the comb.

A rivet l9 or other element such as a clip or any device to engage the comb and envelope to limit the extent of reciprocation of the comb in the sheath completes the structural elements 25 of my invention. The rivet or clip l9 may extend completely through the envelope or sheath I 8 as shown clearly in Fig. 4 or it may comprise any mechanical device for inter-engagement of the sheath and comb to limit the extent of re- 30 ciprocation as aforesaid.

From the above description it will be seen that no match striking operation upon the abrasive surface H can be accomplished by the user unless the match heads l2 are within the sheath and protectedfrom flying sparks.

I claim:

1. In a match pack, a sheath comprising a sheet of material folded upon itself and 'provided with a flap, a slotted match comb unit in 40 the folded sheet material and a clip extending through the flap and. the folds of sheet material and extending through the slot in the comb unit whereby to form an assembly in which the sheet material comprises an envelope for the unit and the unit is restrictedly reciprocable therein.

2. In a match pack, a sheath comprising a sheet of material folded upon itself to provide an envelope, a slotted match comb unit in the envelope and a clip extending through the envelope and through the slot in the comb whereby to assemble and bind the envelope and comb in a unitary assembly wherein the comb is retrictedly reciprocable.

3. In a match pack, a sheath comprising a sheet of material folded upon itself to provide an envelope, a match comb provided with matches arranged with their heads at one end of the comb and an abrasive match lighting material at the other end thereof, said comb having a slot parallel with the matches and having a lineal extent less than the distance between the match 

